I think we;re going to be seeing more and more of this type of research. Lets hope so anyway.

First-of-Its-Kind Study Inventories New Mexican Beaver Dams

As part of Defenders of Wildlife’s beaver conservation initiative, a new survey, which has never been conducted in New Mexico, reveals an uneven distribution of beaver dams — and the subsequential ecological benefits — throughout the state.  Commissioned by Defenders, the survey is a critical tool for the future of strategic beaver and water conservation New Mexico.

“Dam-building beavers are critical for water and wildlife conservation, especially when considering the effects of climate change on our water availability,” said Peggy Darr, Defenders of Wildlife New Mexico representative. “The results of this survey will be used to directly impact beaver numbers in New Mexico’s perennial rivers, not only by Defenders, but by beaver conservation practitioners across the state.  In doing so, we will improve wildlife habitats and ensure future water security for humans.”

Excellent. You know I have heard a lot in recent years about food security and water security. What I want to know is why don’t we ever hear about BEAVER security! That’s what folks should really be worried about.

Using aerial imagery data, Utah State University researchers mapped 4,732 beaver dams across more than 13,000 miles of year-round streams in New Mexico. The study found areas with high concentrations of beaver dams that require protection to preserve and improve existing water levels, as well as areas that could benefit from beaver habitat restoration, co-existence and/or reintroduction efforts. Notably, researchers documented a stark difference in beaver dam numbers between northern and southern New Mexico, with alarmingly fewer dams found in the Gila and Sacramento Mountains.

Private lands had the largest proportion of the perennial stream network and the highest number of dams, illustrating the importance of working with private landowners to achieve successful beaver-based conservation and restoration.

Thank you Amelia and Terre!

More bipolar event planning. Good news. bad mews. Well it will either be the best beaver festival ever or it won’t. At least there’s wonderful news on this Friday morning.

How beavers are helping to restore wetlands around Portland

Wetlands throughout the Portland area are flourishing, and floodplains are being restored, thanks to the work of an often-unsung, semi-aquatic rodent.

Why it matters: Beavers are quietly reshaping the Portland metro, restoring wetlands that boost native wildlife, filter our water and create natural buffers against floods and wildfires — all crucial as the region faces increasing urban expansion and a shifting climate.

Stunning stat: The Willamette Valley has lost an estimated 57% of its historical wetland habitat since European colonization, mostly due to development.

What they’re saying: Beavers represent a natural solution to a set of problems created by humans, said Stephanie Wagner, founder of the Oswego Lake Watershed Council.

Well it’s wonderful to see folks be so probeaver in Portand. I can remember when the beaver state was a pretty darn hard place to be a beaver.

We are part of a natural system, and the more we understand how those natural systems work, the more we can reduce any harm that we do,” she told Axios. “We need to see ourselves as a part of that system and not as something separate from it.”

Case in point: In 2017, Washington County’s Fern Creek was narrow, straight and overgrown with non-native Reed canary grass, said Mike Conroy, habitat conservation specialist with the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District.

Over several years, the district worked with the private land owner to rehab the area — removing the invasive grasses, replanting native plants and putting logs on the landscape.

Shortly thereafter, a beaver colony living nearby moved in.

“Within two years, we were seeing dam building, which is way quicker than we expected,” Conroy told Axios.

The beavers slowed the flow of the creek and created a floodplain, converting roughly 15 acres of non-native grasses to wetlands, Conroy said.

Two whole years? It took two whole year! Those are some laze beavers you got there. Two whole nights is more like it!

Zoom in: Out near Gresham, something similar happened on an overgrown section of the North Fork of Johnson Creek, said Chelsea White-Brainard, engagement coordinator for the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District.

They took out the blackberries that had swamped the creek, and beavers moved in and began building dams.

The creek was transformed from a narrow channel into wide, meandering pools, attracting herons, coyotes and raptors that help with rodent control on nearby farms.

“We built the habitat for the beaver, and then the beaver built the habitat for everybody else,” White-Brainard told Axios.

In Lake Oswego, the water council is now planning to partner with high school students to bring in native plants along both Springbrook and Pecan creeks around Lake Oswego with the hopes of attracting beavers, Wagner told Axios.

Yes, but: Beaver dams can flood the crops of farms near creeks and streams, and they’ve been known to eat the crops themselves, so creating habitat for them has to be done in areas where they won’t harm agriculture nearby, Conroy said.

The bottom line: “It really is just a matter of humans coexisting with beavers, and recognizing the benefits that they provide,” White-Brainard said.

Yes. If you care about anything that needs water to survive, you should care about beavers. End of story.